A number of landscapers are steering away from skid steers in favour of articulated loaders.
"From a design point of view, articulated loaders and skid steers are like chalk and cheese,” says Cameron Moir, Schaffer Loaders' Australian manager.
"A skid steer is a rigid-framed machine whereas an articulated loader has two chassis joined by an articulation joint.
"Some people say they like skid steers because they turn on the spot but this has a downside because they dig up the ground. A landscaper may have just laid a new driveway and he turns on it and wrecks it! And it’s very hard on a drivers back and expensive on tyres compared to an articulated loader.
"The Schaffer articulated loaders are nearly as nimble as any skid steer because they have a 20 per cent greater articulation angle than any other front end loader on the market and are narrower in width, which allows them to work in very tight areas, but still have good capacity."
Articulated loaders can provide a smoother operation, partiuclarly in rough terrain. The seating position on top of the loader also gives better visibility.
Articulated loaders, with their long wheelbase, have their counterweight further back, allowing them to lift heavier loads higher and reach out further more safely.